A Witch's Mask
by Raiza Sunozaki
Summary: Between the fifth and sixth game, Bernkastel gets a surprise visit from an old friend. Contains Episode 5 spoilers and hints towards Episode 6, as well as general spoilers for the end of Higurashi.


Author's Note: So... first complete story in nearly a year... and it's from Umineko. I'm completely obsessed with these games, so more stuff like this is definitely a possibility. I'm trying to write an epic length Ange/Mammon story, but that might take a while. Combine that with school and a couple other million things I want to do, and you get why it took so long for this. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Outside the window, the darkness of non-existence continued on to infinity. Bernkastel stared into it with mild disinterest. She was usually fascinated with the endless darkness; it reminded her of the sea of kakera she knew so well. But right now, even the enchanting darkness couldn't satisfy her mood. Sighing, she turned away from the window and sat in the nearest chair.

"You seem troubled by something, my beloved Bern." Sitting across from Bernkastel, talking like she had been sitting there the whole time, even though she had only appeared when Bernkastel had sat down, was the Witch of Certainty, Lambdadelta.

"Not at all, my dear Lambda. The only thing to trouble me lately is that Ronove-san has retired with Battler, and I am forced to drink tea made by you. You put far too much milk and sugar in your tea. I prefer mine black."

"Black? Peh. Such a gloomy, dark colour. I prefer a nice light colour. And the sugar is to sweeten you up my dear Bern. You're much too bitter as you are." Lambdadelta smirked. "But really, is that the only thing that's troubling you?"

"Other than that, I am perfectly content."

"Oh?" Lambdadelta's smirk grew larger. "Nothing else? Not even your crushing defeat at the hands of Battler?"

Bernkastel's emotionless expression dropped into a grimace for a fraction of a second, before she quickly covered it up with a smirk. "I do not see how I am responsible for my double's failure. I assure you, if it had been me I would have crushed Battler's ridiculous theory."

"Yet you didn't. Instead, you forgave Erika and allowed Battler to continue the game."

"I was becoming interested. He is a far more unpredictable opponent than you."

"Oh, I'm hurt Bern" Lambdadelta turned to look out the window. "Speaking of that fool, where is he? Isn't it the host's responsibility to entertain his guests?" "Hidden away in that rose garden Beato and him are so fond of. He is probably working on the next game board in there."

"Well I'm bored. I wish he'd hurry up and finish, I'm looking forward to the next showdown between him and Erika. Speaking of her, how is she? Is she ready to take him on?"

"She thinks she is. After the humiliation of being outsmarted by him, she started looking into the kakera of the previous games, studying his previous matches with Beato."

"And? Do you think she's ready?"

"At this point, I doubt it. She has yet to realize Battler knows the truth of all the riddles in Beato's game, so she is at a huge disadvantage to him." She paused to take a sip of her tea, deliberately wincing at it's sweetness. "However, Battler can be quite the idiot. There is a good chance she will be able to trick him, or that he will make a mistake. And at that point, she will jump on his slip and use it to her advantage."

"Hmm, you're quite right. That girl is quite good at abusing other people's faults. Still, she's got a tough challenge ahead of her. Maybe I'll go and offer some words of… motivation to her."

"Please do, I will be glad to be rid of your presence for a while."

"Oh, how cruel Bern." She stood up. "I'm crushed," she took an elegant step forwards, "saddened," an elegant spin across the room, "in tears," a flourished movement to behind Bernkastel's chair, "inside at least," she finished by whispering with a smile into Bernkastel's ear.

"Just remember, my dear beloved Bern, you will be mine for eternity. Playing forever in this birdcage I've so lovingly built for you. So while I may not be there by your side, I am always watching you as you search for the exit to this cage." Lambdadelta's tinkling laughter faded away, and Bernkastel was left alone in the room. She got up from her chair and returned to staring out the window.

"As if I'll ever get trapped by you again…" Bernkastel clenched her fists. "As if I'll ever endure that hell again!"

"That girl, she never changes, does she?"

Bernkastel swung around, her eyes wide with surprise. Standing in the centre of the tea room was a young girl with long blue hair, dressed in a simple, pale green dress.

"Rika…"

The girl smiled at her. "Hello Fredrika. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You… how? And why?"

"I worry about you. It must be lonely moving from kakera to kakera, eternally running away from your boredom. At least you have Lambdadelta to keep you company."

"But how? How did you find me?"

"When you left, I asked Hanyuu to keep an eye on you She's been following your journey through the kakera."

"But you shouldn't of been able to follow me. When I left, you should've stayed in your kakera, your happy ending."

"Fredrika, you're forgetting something. You're a part of me, I'm a part of you. You're the one hundred years of repetitions that we had to go through to find that happy ending. It doesn't matter where you are, I can appear in front of you."

"So… you being here, is just an illusion? A phantom brought on by my loneliness?"

Rika laughed. "You of all people should know that an illusion can be just as real as reality itself." The smile disappeared from her face. "Those one hundred years, they've been a heavy burden on you for such a long time. It's so sad that you have to carry it yourself."

Bernkastel laughed bitterly. "You're too kind to me. I'm sure I've earned this burden several times over with these past few games."

Rika nodded. "I've been watching. You've been very mean to Batter-san and Beatrice-san. All they wanted to do was play their game and find the culprit."

"Exactly! So stop being so kind to me, stop caring so much about me. I don't deserve it. I'm a terrible person."

"Like how you used Battler-san's younger sister as a sacrifice to get him to fight properly?"

"That's right, I used her so that he wouldn't lose. Even though it was like torture to him, I forced him to go through it."

"Like how you brought Erika-san into play, to torment him when he finally came so close to succeeding?"

"Yeah, like her. All these cruel things I've put Battler through, the indifference I showed Beato as she was being killed in the last game, doesn't that show how evil I am? How deserving of this burden I am?"

Rika nodded again. "You've done a very good job playing the wicked witch." Then she smiled broadly.

"But don't you think you've played the villain's part long enough?"

Bernkastel was silent. Slowly, she slid down the wall to the floor. From the way she looked up a Rika, she looked like a child who had been scolded by their parent. When she spoke, her voice was shaky.

"Do you think… I might have been a little too harsh on them?"

"Battler-san and Beatrice-san? Yes, you were. But you didn't do it because you wanted to."

Bernkastel hugged her legs. "I just don't want them to go through the same experience I did."

Rika walked over to her, knelt down and hugged her. "It's all right, it's all right, I understand. No one should have to go through a hundred of years of hell like you did. If acting cruel to them helps them escape this endless torture, then you haven't done anything wrong."

"It's not like I have to keep this up much longer. Battler's found the truth, and he'll use that to resurrect Beato and end this game. I just wish I could celebrate his final victory with him, instead of disappearing into the sea of kakera once more."

"We all have our own part to play in the games we play, Fredrika. Battler-san and Beatrice-san have experienced so much pain and death, it might be best just to let them be."

"I know. It's just…" She hugged herself even tighter. "It's just, I don't want to be left alone again, drifting through the sea of kakera. First Mion, Keiichi, Satoko, Rena and everyone else in Hinamizawa, now Battler, Beato and everyone here who have made my endless life… interesting. I don't want to have to say good-bye again."

"It's all right Fredrika." Rika lifted Bernkastel's head so they were staring at each other. "You're never alone. Mii, Keiichi, Satoko, Rena, they might not have properly met you, but they're my friends, and that makes them your friends as well. And I'm always thinking of you, worrying about how you're doing. So even if I'm not always there at your side, I'm always watching over you."

Bernkastel laughed. "That line's much more comforting coming from you than from Lambda. Huh… Fredrika, eh? I haven't heard that name in a long time."

"That's right. Now you're known as Lady Bernkastel, the Witch of Miracles, both feared and respected in countless kakera." Rika laughed. "I wonder what those people would think if they knew your famous confidence was just an act?"

"Confident or not, I must appear so, for a miracle will not happen for some one who does not believe in it."

"Then why don't you believe, Fredrika?" Rika reached down and grabbed Bernkastel's hand. "Believe that a miracle will happen, believe that you will be happy!"

"Could… I? After all the cruel things I've done, do I still deserve a miracle?"

"Of course you do. I don't think anyone deserves a miracle more than you, the witch who has spent an eternity granting miracles."

Bernkastel was silent, lost in thought. Still smiling, Rika stood up.

"Well, I've meddled enough. If I do anymore, Hanyuu might get a little angry with me."

"You're leaving?"

"This isn't my story, Fredrika. I can't stay here. My story is June 1963. But I'm always there for you, thinking about you. So please don't feel you're alone."

"Thank you… Rika. For everything."

"It's nothing. Ah, before I go… one last bit of encouragement." Rika gave a big smile and clapped her hands together. "Fight-o! Nipaa~!"

Bernkastel twitched, then burst out laughing. She laughed until the tears that had formed in her eyes started falling. When she finally calmed down, she wiped her eyes and looked up.

"Rika?" She was already gone. Bernkastel looked down for a moment, then stood up and brushed herself off.

"Thank you, Rika."

The sound of footsteps indicated the arrival of someone. Bernkastel gave a brief sigh, sat down and began to sip her tea. Seconds later, Battler appeared in a shower of gold.

"Hehn… I'd rather be working on the next game, but Ronove told me it was rude to ignore my guests."

"It is very rude. Beato at least had the courtesy to entertain us even as she designed her various games."

"Give me a break. Designing a game is tricky. Huh?" Battler looked around the room. "Where are Lambdadelta, Erika and Dlanor?"

"I have no clue. Lambda was here earlier, but she left to torment Erika." A cold smile formed across her face. "See? She was bored, so she left to entertain herself. You are beginning to lose your guests, Battler."

"Like hell I care. I'd actually like it if you all left and let me play with Beato in peace. Ugh… I really don't feel like dealing with both her and Erika at once. I'll just tell Ronove they were fine."

"Ah, speaking of Ronove, could you ask him to send me some cookies and tea? You get pretty tired of Lambda's obsession with ridiculously sweet things after a while."

"Sure. Well, later." Battler turned around and began walking.

"Oh, yes. Battler?"

"What is it now?"

"Please avoid taking too long creating the next game. I'm a patient witch, but I am also anticipating it. So please, impress me."

"Eh?" Battler turned away again, scratching his head. "Ahgh… are all witches like this? Insane and evil one moment, kind and friendly the next? Ah, damn it." he took a few steps and disappeared in a shower of gold.

Bernkastel chuckled to herself. "Maybe." She got up from her chair and walked over to the window again. Now, the sight of the endless darkness made her feel at home and peaceful again, like a comforting dark blanket.

"I will believe in a miracle, Rika. By my name, Fredrika Bernkastel, the Witch of Miracles, I swear to have my miracle come true." She closed her eyes and smiled.

"I'm tired of having nowhere to belong to."


End file.
